Characteristics of Poogles

A poogle is a crossbred dog, commonly known as a hybrid or designer dog. Calling poogles "mutts" is a misnomer. Their lineage is known. The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize poogles in its purebred registry. The AKC welcomes enrollment of them in the AKC Canine Partners program, however. Owners also can register poogles with the American Canine Hybrid Club. They are welcome members of the International Designer Canine Registry, too.

History

Poogles are half beagle and half poodle. They are the offspring of crossbreeding those two purebred dogs. The poogle crossbreed originated in the United States during the 1980s.

Characteristics

Poogles are excitable, active, fun and family friendly. They do well at dog parks and enjoy exercising. These dogs have unpredictable grooming needs, depending on the length of their coats, but shed very little. PoodleMixes.org reports that poogles have great dental health if owners begin brushing the dogs' teeth when they are puppies.

Physical Description

Poogle puppies grow to be the size of beagles, and full-grown poogles may weigh nearly 20 lbs. Coloration varies among poogles. Their solid colors are black and brown. Some have two-tone hair mixes of white and brown or gray and tan. Poogles with washed-out, tri-tone coloring also exist.

Popularity

Michelle Adams, owner of the Beagle Dog Guide website, says poogles are growing in popularity, "in part, due to their cute-sounding names." She adds that a common perception that poogles have "overall better traits" also increases their popularity.

Pros

Pro-poogle people conclude that poogles have better health and temperaments. They attribute this benefit to crossbreeding. Beagle crossbreeds such as poogles "are the result of parents with two separate types of genetics and this may make them genetically superior to purebred dogs," according to Adams.

Cons

Purebred dog advocates disagree that poogles are better than their purebred parents. Adams says the opposition to beagle crossbreeds believes, "Though purebreds are the result of in breeding and may have genetic defects due to this, they also have a documented lineage and are also predictable in body structure, overall temperament, and health." She warns, "Any dog not pure bred, be it a beagle mix or a beagle mutt, will have no predictability" in temperament or physical traits.

About the Author Christina Hadley holds a Bachelor of Arts in design. She writes copy for an assortment of industries. Her work also appears in the "Houston Chronicle" small business section. Hadley is a UCLA-certified computer professional. The British Museum recently featured one of her digital images in an exhibit.